About us

The Center for Self-Determined Living for the Disabled

The Zentrum für Selbstbestimmtes Leben Behinderter e.V., ZSL e.V. for short, was founded in 1988 by activists as a non-profit association for the self-representation of people with disabilities under the motto „Nothing about us without us!“. The aim is equal participation in professional and private life, i.e. inclusion. We were even actively involved in the negotiations for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

To realize inclusion, we offer a comprehensive range of advice, support and services to other affected persons and all interested parties.

Our advice centers (OBA and EUTB) provide information on a wide range of topics relating to independent living. The assistance organization in Erlangen provides a comprehensive range of services for adults with disabilities. Personal assistance enables people with support needs to lead a self-determined life in the environment of their choice.

We also contribute to raising public awareness with numerous campaigns and projects - such as the „Change of Perspective“ - and persuade municipal facilities and private companies to implement accessibility.

The ZSL e.V. is a recognized non-profit association that focuses on social rather than profit-oriented tasks.

As a long-established interest group, we see our commitment confirmed by numerous awards for our successful work.

The video gives an insight into the origins of the ZSL and shows how a student initiative for more accessibility and personal assistance at the university became a permanent contact point for people with disabilities. The video shows how the ZSL has developed into an important institution for participation and inclusion over the decades.

Christian Pfeuffer - Managing Director

Christian Pfeuffer has been head of ZSL Erlangen since July 1, 2025. Born in Erlangen (M.Sc. Business Administration), he combines sound management knowledge with practical experience: he lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and organizes his support using the employer model. This perspective sharpens his eye for effective assistance, clear processes and reliable cooperation.

„My aim is to make self-determination a tangible experience in everyday life, to ensure participation in the long term and to break down barriers step by step.“

He is responsible for the strategic development of the association, quality and reliability in assistance and advice, transparent personnel and financial management and cooperation with municipal and civil society partners. He attaches great importance to comprehensible processes, digital tools where they are useful and communication that involves those affected, relatives and employees alike. In terms of content, it focuses on strengthening local support, access to advice and the promotion of barrier-free structures in education, work, housing and mobility.

His working style is approachable and solution-oriented: „I want to listen, prioritize together, agree on measurable goals and implement them pragmatically.“

In doing so, he combines his practical experience as an assistant with an economic focus on Value Co-Creation through Patient Involvement within Virtual Health Solutions - an approach that combines participation and effectiveness.

„Good assistance and clear processes are not an end in themselves - they create freedom so that people can shape their lives according to their own ideas.“

The association council introduces itself

Sylke Stricker

I have been closely associated with ZSL and the city of Erlangen for over 30 years as a member and customer and through my many years of work at the ZSL advice center.
And now that I'm retired, I'm not bored, but I want to continue my commitment to the ZSL and its important work. It is impossible to imagine the social landscape of Erlangen without the ZSL, but it still takes a lot of effort to ensure that accessibility, equal participation and a self-determined, dignified life for people with disabilities become a matter of course in our society.

Theresia Herden

„Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.“
This sentence by Václav Havel has accompanied me through my life for many years. It gives me strength, energy and fighting spirit when I realize once again how far away we are from an inclusive society in Germany. How many superfluous hurdles and barriers there still are that make life even more difficult for so many people with a disability.
Standing up against violence against women with disabilities is a matter close to my heart. I would be delighted to hear from like-minded people who would like to support me.

Marie Sieger

I am Marie, 25 years old. I moved to Erlangen for my studies and have been living with assistance organized by the ZSL ever since. Today I am working on my doctoral thesis - this is possible for me thanks to dedicated assistants and the ZSL.
In addition to my role as a customer, I run training courses on topics such as the relationship between assistants and customers, self-determination and closeness and distance. I am also a member of the association council and contribute to the strategic development of ZSL.“

Josef Fleischmann

„If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” - Sir Isaac Newton, 1675
Looking back, as a “millennial”, I was able to practically “settle into the nest”: Free choice of school type (Abitur 2013 in Altdorf near Nuremberg), moving out of the parental home and studying in Stuttgart with assistance, access to the primary labor market and ongoing doctorate at the University of Valencia, Spain. The opportunity to develop in this way with a muscle disease (SMA) is based on the tireless social and political commitment of the people who founded the ZSL Erlangen and have campaigned for an inclusive society.
As a member of the ZSL Association Council, I would like to play my part in ensuring that we not only defend the achievements of recent decades, but actively build on them, even in politically uncertain times. It is particularly important to me that self-determined assistance remains reliably and purposefully accessible, that young people with disabilities are given real opportunities for education and employment and that ZSL remains a reliable employer for its staff.

Samuel Faber

My name is Samuel Faber and I am 29 years old. I originally come from the Nuremberg region. I have been receiving support in the form of personal assistance from ZSL since I started my studies. The assistance supports me in my everyday life and enables me to participate in society. As a result, I was able to complete my degree in electrical engineering with great success. This paved the way for me to work as a research assistant at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg. Unfortunately, people with disabilities often face unnecessary barriers that stand in the way of developing their potential. Through my involvement in the Association Council, I would like to consciously draw attention to barriers and find solutions together to remove them.